Friends Forged In Fire
by TheBloodyShowPony
Summary: When the staggering weight of the Triwizard Tournament is suddenly thrust upon Hiccup's shoulders, there is little he can do in preparation but expect the worst. An accused cheat, and with no one to confide in, Hiccup is shocked when his fellow competitor, a certain Jack Frost, is truly interested in his well being, but his troubles are far from behind him:The First Task lies ahead
1. Chapter 1

Friends Forged In Fire

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**I have always loved the idea of Hiccup meeting Toothless in the Triwizard Tournament, and I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I just had to write it down. Please comment if you want me to write the rest of this, or leave it as a oneshot. Thank you so much for reading this it's my first fanfic so I'm sorry if it's not amazing. :)**

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_Chapter One_

Hiccup staggered across the Champion's Tent towards the small, huddled gathering of teachers, competitors and Ministry Officials alike, his stomach swooping dangerously like a heavy pendulum with every reluctant step forwards he took.

He stumbled into an apparently vacant place between a friendly Slytherin he vaguely knew from the year above, who gave him an encouraging if not uncertain smile, and the ever-cheerful Fifth-year Herbology Teacher, whom Hiccup recognized as Professor Longbottom. Many students (Hiccup not included), found the use of the Herbology Teacher's Sir-name funny, and laughed at him behind his back, but Hiccup liked Professor Longbottom and was sure he didn't want to get on his bad side: That guy may be old, but he was lethal with a pair of Dr Fungus's enchanted hedge-trimmers.

The Slytherin boy to Hiccup's left stood about a head taller than Hiccup himself, with a mop of messy, shock white hair, and a pair of beautiful ice blue eyes that seemed to gaze straight through your own. Even in his panic-ridden state, Hiccup couldn't help but stare.

The boy carried a shepherd's crook in his right hand, (Though what it was for Hiccup had no idea), and stood barefoot, his visible skin almost so pale it seemed to radiate a glow-like aura.

The boy seemed to take Hiccup's lack of speech as a que to introduce himself, as he switched the staff-like-thing he was holding to his alternate palm, stuck out his right hand in Hiccup's direction and smiled as if trying to calm himself as much as he was Hiccup.

"Hi, I'm Jack, Jack Frost and you would be...?"

"H-hiccup!" Hiccup's voice came out as a shrill squeak.

At that moment, a soft breeze blew through the tent, somewhat soothing his blush of embarrassment, so, with new found composure, Hiccup cleared his throat and tried again.

"My name's H-hiccup Haddock" Hiccup stated, his cheeks burning.

"Well 'Hiccup Haddock', It's good to meet you." Said the newly introduced Jack Frost, who smiled a tense smile that twinkled in his eyes, and looked genuinely pleased to meet Hiccup. Jack's apparent pleasure somewhat took Hiccup aback, and he gave a quick, if not forced quirk of his lips before lowering his eyes to the carpeted floor of the tent.

This is nice, Thought Hiccup, I've finally met someone who I can actually enjoy a full conversation with without them bolting straight through the nearest window, and I'm not even going to live long enough to enjoy it, Jeez, I just can't catch a break. Hiccup sighed.

Depressingly, he could recall at least one occasion on which that particular event had happened.

They were seven floors up, and Hiccup was talking to a plump Ravenclaw girl in pigtails about... well, he couldn't actually remember what he was talking about, but anyway, in one way or another, their strained conversation had been abruptly ended by the girl smashing her way through an arched window to get away from him, pigtails flying in her wake. She'd had a broomstick at the time and all so she didn't seriously injure herself but still... It did kind of hurt. And he wasn't just talking about the stained-glass shrapnel that had peppered him in the girl's mad dash to escape his company. Being a Ravenclaw and all, Hiccup reflected, that really wasn't particularly smart of her.

Hiccup looked over at Jack, his ears pounding with more than just the strain of re-living the not-so-distant memory.

"Thanks," Hiccup muttered hastily, remembering that he had forgotten to reply. His eyes were wandering and clouded, his mind still not completely refocused to the conversation at hand. He pulled his mind back in Jack's general direction with not too much effort.

"Usually people don't even want to know my name, let alone think it's nice to meet me."

Jack frowned, his mouth opening to reply, when quite suddenly, a flustered figure stumbled through the front flap of the tent, his pointed hat slightly off-centre, and his cheeks flushed ruddy with discomposure. A great deal of candyfloss hair sprouted from his balding head, nose, and ears, and his forehead gleamed like a mirror in the dull, close light leaking through the canvas tent walls. The man was slightly bow-legged, as if he had been riding his entire life, and he wore an eyewateringly bright set of gold and maroon striped robes that it made Hiccup's eyes ache just looking at them. From the look on Jack's face, he was suffering, too. Maybe the robes will kill me before I die of fright, thought Hiccup, and even in spite of himself he smirked. This commotion was enough to effectively silence the words brewing in Jack's throat. He gave Hiccup an apologetic shrug, then turned his attention back towards the now less pink-faced man before them.

"Right... yes.. h-hello, um yes...hello to Thestral, I mean, ah, Hello to all you... um...Your pardon if you please, that is to say, Hello to you all!" Stuttered the plump wizard, stumbling over each word in a most spectacular fashion. He then gave a strange little titter of laughter, (sort of like a mouse getting trodden on) causing both Jack and Hiccup unceremoniously large snorts of hilarity, neither boy able to control their fit of silent laughter as nervous energy bubbled to the surface in the form of a severe fit of the giggles. This received a stern look from Professor Longbottom, and both boys' shoulders shook with the effort of gaining control over their spasming lungs. The laughter quickly left the boys' eyes and spirits as they redoubled their efforts to listen to the wizened old man before them:

"...am Oliver Wood, Head of Magical Sports and Gaming Events at the Ministry of Magic. I am here, as I'm sure you've already guessed, to deliver to you the conditions, technicalities and terms for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament!" Wood then exercised his ridiculous laugh for a second time, but this time neither Jack nor Hiccup so much as smiled.

"Umm..well.." Wood mumbled, obviously losing some of his hard-earned confidence due to his less-than-warm- _reception._

"As a bit of a sports man in my youth," Proclaimed Wood, puffing out his chest and straightening his robes,

"I know how the nerves must be truly awful at such a time as this," stated Wood, before quickly adding:

"Not that I ever really got nerves in my day!" He then gave an uneasy chortle and fumbled with his pointy hat in order to position it correctly on his head (he blushed deeper still as he realised that it had been askew in the first place)

"But anyway, um...yes, well, ah, onto the Task!" He cleared his throat as his unease was quickly replaced with excitement, and reached inside his robes, searching for a second before withdrawing his hand.

* * *

In his now clenched fist was a navy blue draw-string bag, about the size of large flower pot, with a pattern of stars on it that seemed to actually twinkle like their counterparts in the real night sky. It reminded Hiccup of the Great Hall. At the sight of the bag, Hiccup's stomach gave an unexpected lurch, causing him to stumble sideways into Jack, who didn't look to good himself. Jack's complexion had turned even paler, (if that was possible) and had now taken on an unhealthy grey hue. Jack took no notice of Hiccup knocking into him, and pretty much looked as bad as Hiccup felt. Hiccup ran a shaking hand through his hair and tried to give Jack an encouraging smile, but Jack wasn't looking in Hiccup's direction, he was staring into space, looking like he was trying not to be sick.

The rest of the group was staring intently at Oliver Wood, desperately hanging onto his every word. Hiccup gave Jack a nervous tap on the shoulder, and motioned to his ear in a listen sort of way. Jack hinted and tuned in, too.

"...he First Task," Wood was saying, licking his lips in anticipation, "is fairly simple." He stated, clapping his hands and effectively making everyone jump.

"All you have to do," he said, creating a painfully dramatic pause, and Hiccup drew in a sharp breath, "is collect the golden egg!" He explained, his voice shaking with excitement. Everyone let out their held breaths at once, in a flurry of air.

"But!" He called darkly, switching mood effortlessly from jolly to downright dark. "Be warned..." he extended, his eyes growing wide with anticipation "For the egg is not simply waiting to be collected..."

"Really? Oh bummer, and for a second there I thought we were sailing smooth, I was gonna freaking fly through this!" Jack muttered sarcastically, making Hiccup smirk to himself before his face fell back to its default, 'I'm-terrified-somebody-God-Damn-save-me' look.

"It is guarded..." Wood continued mirthlessly, pausing only long enough for Hiccup to think, 'Enough with the God-Damn pauses already!', before he exclaimed in a flurry of excitement;

"By a DRAGON!"

Hiccup's stomach dropped a further four foot below sea level. A Dragon!? How in Merlin's freaking name was he going to get past a Dragon!? He'd probably die of fright before the thing so much as looked at him. Fear curled like a sleeping beast in the pit of Hiccup's sub-sea level stomach, and suddenly Jack's earlier joke about 'flying' wasn't so funny anymore.

"But wait, there is more!" Wood politely yelled over the commotion and panic now consuming a large portion of the tent. "Excuse me, ex-Excuse me! Yes, ehem, h-hello, thank you, thank you." He gave a light cough and continued, now with the entire tent's full concentration.

"The egg will be concealed within a nest of real dragon eggs, and points will be deducted for the destruction of the real eggs."

Screw the points, thought Hiccup, now panicking, and seriously considering trying the trade 'break-through-the-nearest-window-to-get-away' routine, before realizing a) Wood was talking again, so he should probably be listening and b) He was in a tent, therefore there were no windows to eject himself through. _Damn it._

"...this bag," Wood had continued, pausing to clear his throat importantly, "There is a miniature model of each of the dragons you will have to fight: there is on for each of the four champions." With these words, he looked at Hiccup, and Hiccup looked back at him, feeling like the beast in the pit of his stomach was in the process of waking up.

"The number," Wood continued, " Specifies the order in which you will face your dragons, starting with the number One: Ladies first!" He called cheerfully, moving towards the pretty brunette girl from Beauxbaton who Hiccup vaguely remembered being chosen. Rather reluctantly and with a stony expression, the girl lowered a shaking hand into the velvety folds of the bag, and from the void a few seconds later, she drew a miniature bird-like dragon that Hiccup recognized immediately as a Deadly Nadder. It squawked contentedly, flexing its tail spines and pruning its scales. The girl audibly sighed with relief, obviously satisfied with her choice of dragon, and began to giggle nervously with every exhale. This didn't exactly instil Hiccup with confidence.

"Ooooh the Deadly Nadder; a truly worthy opponent... now onto Durmstrung!" Wood stated cheerfully, hobbling over to where the muscular Durmstrung candidate stood, and offering him the bag. He was tall and broad, with a ridiculously square jaw adorned with stubble, and large, toned muscles. He had thick, black eyebrows and hair, with was styled in a mini Mohawk that looked tiny and comical in proportion to his bulbous head. All brawn no brain, thought Hiccup, feeling dwarfed in comparison, and wishing he had a little more 'brawn' at that particular moment. With a frown, the Durmstrung competitor plunged his fist into the depths of the bag, from whence it re-emerged not a second later clutching a small, struggling, grub-like dragon.

"Ah, the hardy Gronkle!" Wood exclaimed, obviously delighted. "And now for Hogwarts; Mr Frost?"

Jack stared at the bag like it was going to rip his hand off, set his jaw, and then plunged his forearm into it.

He drew out a lean, red, lizard-like dragon with a mean set of teeth, which growled at him and tried to snap at his partly-gloved fingers, the 'Number 3' dangling from its long neck.

"Well," Jack sighed, obviously not thrilled with his chosen dragon, "Could have been a lot wor- HOLY SHIT!"

Hiccup snapped his head to face Jack's direction. At that moment, Jack's dragon had become completely engulfed by flame, and would have awarded Jack with a serious burn if not for his gloves. Jack was now flailing his arm around wildly, trying to throw off his particularly stubborn dragon, who was hanging on to his padded glove with its taloned wings. The dragon finally let go, and spun flaming through the air, until it collided with the side of the tent and slid to the floor

"Language, Mr Frost." Tutted Wood now moving off in Hiccup's direction, "And that is the iconically named Monstrous Nightmare, so if you think you could bring yourself to scrape it of the floor then that would be splendid"

"Ah, sorry" Hiccup heard Jack mumble, as he went to retrieve his dragon, who looked particularly shaken and rather shocked. " 'm J'st not...biggest fan o' fire." He finished, as he gingerly picked up the mini Monstrous Nightmare by the tail between his thumb and forefinger.

Wood sighed, then came to a stop in front of Hiccup, looking particularly exasperated.

"And finally, Mr. Haddock." He said, plastering a smile on his wrinkled face. "You'd better hope that the last beastie's not to fierce! eh?" Wood laughed.

Hiccup gulped audibly, sucked in breath, and bravely stuck his arm (from his wrist to his elbow) into the bag. For a blissful moment, Hiccup couldn't find anything. _Yes! He thought quickly, his mind churning, since I'm not actually meant to be competing, they forgot to-_ but his thoughts were cut unceremoniously short as his fingers brushed something smooth and scaled lying in the bottom of the bag. Hiccup's breath hitched. His e squeezed painfully shut. His heart beat quickened, as if trying to escape his panicking body... and his fisted hand cleared the lip of the bag.

Wood 's smile faltered, anticipation replaced by horrified shock. Jack's eyes grew wide with concern, his pupils switching between Hiccup's scrunched face and the dragon in his palm, and the entire tent seemed to freeze in barely concealed fright.

Finally, after about ten seconds of silence, Hiccup unpeeled his eyelids, one by one, to view the small dragon pacing across his palm. And Hiccup's blood froze. His brain slowed, his eyes bulged, and suddenly he was no longer taking in his surroundings, for every nerve and every atom of his very existence turned in disbelief to focus, horror struck, on the miniature dragon pacing across his quivering hand.

The dragon was smooth and ink black, all curved lines and smooth edges, with large, panelled wings that stretched far wider than the dragon was long. It was sleek and lithe, like a panther, and had a long, thick, cable-like tail that snaked to end in two flat, out-stretching fins. The creature had four, bottom-heavy legs, that splayed out as they met the floor, each tipped with four, razor claws. The beast's back was adorned with a single strip of spikes that ran down the ridge of his spine and ended roughly halfway down his tail, each curved backwards like a dolphin's fin. The most striking thing about the dragon, however, was its eyes. They moved swiftly, and with purpose, scanning the surrounding environment, discarding the irrelevant information, and analysing what was or could become resourceful. Those eyes were calculating, clever. They seemed to look straight into your very making, to your past regrets, your future wishes; without a second of hesitation, they seemed to understand you: Those were the glowing green, dangerous eyes of a killer.

It was both beautiful and terrifying.

"Is, is s-sat a..." Questioned the Durmstrung teen, pointing an unsteady finger in the direction of Hiccup's palm.

"Night F-fury," Hiccup finished, staring into the dragon's glowering eyes, "The unholy offspring of lightning and," Hiccup paused, and swallowed noisily.

"And death itself."


	2. Chapter 2

Friends Forged In Fire

**So I got some **_**really**_** great comments for the first chapter so THANK YOU SO MUCH! XD They made me sooo happy, so here is the second chapter! Wow, I said 'so' a lot just then. XD Anyways, I know that some of the characters are **_**seriously**_** out of character in the first chapter, and I need to think about that next time I write a Fic, but for the moment I'm going to keep the characters that are out of character **_**out**_** of character, otherwise the switch between the two chapters could be even worse. So here is the chapter, R&R!**

**P.S. Sorry this is kind of late, but I hospital and stitches and crap sort of get in the way ya now? Kapeesh? Lol. Anyway, here we go! **

_Chapter 2_

Hiccup, now trembling like a leaf and rapidly turning an unhealthy shade of green, raised his ashen face to that of a now deadly serious Oliver Wood.

"Right," He said, hastily stuffing the now empty drawstring bag back into one of his inner jacket pockets and clearing his throat in an important manner.

"I do believe that I should, ummm… consult the liability of these… ah, _resent events _with the rest of the judging panel. Just, um wait. There. "

Wood then turned his back to Hiccup, and swiftly strode off in the direction of the tent entrance, where a small group of strangely assorted wizards stood, deep in conversation. At the sight of Wood approaching, all in the group stopped talking abruptly, and stared expectantly at Wood's hastily forthcoming figure. When he finally came to a stumbling halt, the conversation was resumed, now with a great deal of raised voices full of exasperation and powerful hand movements that could have taken off your head if they caught you round the neck.

Hiccup stood, shaken and stunned, staring at the place where Wood's head had hovered moments before.

"You Ok?" whispered someone at Hiccup's shoulder.

Hiccup yelped in surprise, jumped a foot in the air, almost dropping his miniature black death sentence, and successfully drew the attention of all those in the tent not participating in one of the many raging tactic talks.

"_Cool it_, Kiddo,'s just me. " Jack smirked as if there was some sort of inside joke, irritating Hiccup to no end. "Sorry if I scared you, I mean, I don't do it on purpose, I'm just… good at sneaking up on people." Jack finished, his impish grin flickering for a moment, his eyes glassing over.

Quite unexpectedly, Hiccup's annoyance towards Jack evaporated, like a simple expulsion of breath, and suddenly, Hiccup wasn't mad anymore. For a few moments, Hiccup simply forgot about his current predicament, and all of his problems seemed insignificantly small in comparison to the great scense of loss and longing that that Jack now radiated. The bitter devastation and pain was written so clearly across Jack's features, that is would have been no easier to visually see had someone cut it into his icy skin with a knife, and in a moment of sudden realisation, Hiccup understood that Jack had been hurting for much longer than he himself could comprehend.

"J-Jack?" Hiccup breathed, his voice cracking with the raw aching hurt of seeing Jack like this. "You Ok?"

"What?" Jack muttered, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

"I was just asking if you, if you w-were Ok." Hiccup stated, stammering a little as Jack looked him straight in the eyes.

"Me?" Jack questioned, motioning to his chest as if making sure it truly was himself that Hiccup was referring to. "Oh yeah, I'm, yeah I'm fine, I've been fine for over… Uh-I-I mean, I've been fine for a long, _long_ time." Jack looked a little uneasy as to the direction the conversation seemed to be swinging in, and decided to strike a new nerve. "Anyway, I'm _seriously_, not wasting my worry on me." Jack added his eyes drifting to the dragon mapping Hiccup's every grove of Hiccup's hand, continually pacing. Hiccup suddenly felt as if a two ton weight had been dropped back into his stomach.

"I…" Hiccup stuttered, fear ricocheting through his body, causing his bones to shake. He was suddenly at a complete loss at what to say.

"C'mon," Jack smiled reassuringly, "Keep your lunch down and your chin up,"

Hiccup giggled, "Who told you _that_ one?" trying to keep a straight face.

"I do not know!" Jack announced triumphantly, swinging a single fist up to hit his chest King-Kong style. "But I _do_ know that my lunch was particularly spectacular, so I would like to hold on to it!" He stated proudly, oblivious to the large portion of the tent that was now staring at Jack. He was so wrapped up in his own personal crescendo that didn't seem to notice them. The sudden swing in Jack's emotions slightly startled Hiccup.

"Jack!" Hiccup hissed, giggling through his teeth. "People are staring!"

"What? And just for the record, are they staring at my chin or my lunch, and which is more spectacular?" By this time, Hiccup was in a fit of laughter, clawing at the stitches in his sides. But, just then, he caught a wisp of conversation drifting from the group of Ministry Judges, and the smile was once more wiped from his face.

"…-e haven't seen one in years, centuries in fact, no one has ever faced one of these thing and come back _alive_! And they- that is to say _we _are expecting a fifth year for Merlin's sake, a _fifth year, _which shouldn't even _be competing_ to fight this thing. Well really, Oliver, I think this is going a step too far. Is it even _legal?" _One wizened old man stated, his brow furred in concern. He had only just finished speaking when a slightly younger wizard took up the mantle as well.

"They're an endangered species, Wood; please try to see some _sense_!"

"There is nothing I _can_ do, Mr. Jordan, " Stated Wood, pursing his lips into a bloodless line.

"The Binding Magical Terms and Conditions of the Triwizard Tournament (which have been around for some four hundred years, might I add), prevent me from taking any further action upon the matter! So if, and at this very moment in time I am sincerely hoping that one could be brought to my attention , _anyone_ could find some sort of loop-hole in such a set of rules, then I would be more than delighted to listen to them!" Wood fumed, his face now dangerously high in colour.

"There are so many safety regulations in place anyway, my dear friend, that all of the consent forms have turned me quite grey." Wood tried for some light humour, but the frown still gracing his face somewhat detracted from the overall effect. He then untucked a rather spectacular pocket watch from inside yet another pocket of his robes. It didn't have numbers upon its face, as such, but instead it was decorated with a strange selection of runes, patterns and dials, all elaborate and oddly mesmerising. The watch made absolutely no sense to Hiccup, but then again, at the moment, not a lot did. Wood, however, seemed satisfied, and proceeded to tuck it back into his dazzlingly bright robes before striding over in the direction of Hiccup and his fellow competitors.

Hiccup once more felt as though he had just had the weight of the sky placed onto his frail shoulders. Jack, always the considerate type, seemed to notice Hiccup's rediscovered discomfort, and tried to offer some support.

"You still got your lunch, Hic?" Jack teased, knocking Hiccup playfully with his shoulder.

"Y-yeah, j-just about." Hiccup replied, blinking rapidly as if trying to wash the fear from within his eyes watery.

Jack didn't have the chance to reply before Wood was addressing the group again.

"Well, it's time, champions! The first of you is about to go where no champion has gone before: Mr Burov, if you would like to leave the tent!"

The thick-set Scandinavianthen set his jaw, pulled out his wand, and made his slow-paced departure from the tent.

"Well!" Wood exclaimed brightly, as Burov disappeared from view, part of his characteristically bold enthusiasm now shining from within him once again. "If the rest of you could just make yourselves comfortable, your turn in the limelight will arrive quite shortly, and then your shining performances in the 720th year of the Triwizard Tournament shall begin!"

"Oh joy," Mumbled Hiccup.

"If you would like to take a seat,-" Wood announced, gesturing to behind the three remaining champions, where one chair and a sofa had miraculously materialized.

For the first time since Wood's slightly untimely and startlingly bright appearance in the Triwizard Tent, Hiccup was actually appreciative of something that the Head of Magical Sports and Games Events had said and done.

Wood then left at an unnaturally fast pace, his blazingly bright cloak billowing out behind him, before being snatched around the corner of the tent's entrance and out of sight.

Hiccup then gave a deep, breathy sigh as his knees swiftly gave out, and he collapsed, emotionally drained, onto the right edge of the plush sofa. Jack swiftly followed, succeeding where Hiccup had failed in retaining what little amount of colour he could.

The red, plush pillows seemed to swallow Hiccup whole, only highlighting how small for his age he was compared to Jack and the remaining Beauxbaton girl, who seated herself in the remaining, lavish armchair, and stared moodily at the canvas of the tent, as if it would give her any guidance.

Her dragon climbed onto the armrest, tucked its head under a highly patterned wing, and appeared to fall into sleep.

Hiccup wished he could do the same.

He didn't want to fight a dragon, Ok, understatement, he _couldn't_ fight a dragon. He was terrified of the things. They were dangerous killing machines, and, as he had been told many a time by his prat of a cousin and _countless_ other individuals the ferocity and peril that entailed being around the monsters. He had heard hideous stories of people dying horrible deaths, being scorched alive and lousing limbs at the hands (or claws) of the stealthy hunters.

Sure, Hiccup was terrified, but he had never _truly _believed what the others had said. That they had no consciences. No mind other than for death and destruction. No remorse.

But Hiccup didn't _really _believe such things; for he had seen otherwise.

He was much younger then, walking through the woods subsequent to a dragon attack, ashamed, one again for his slight of build and lack of muscle. He was mortified of his inability to _do _something, on either side of the battle. He was lost in self-pity, truly living up to his many abusive names: The runt, the nuisance, the _Hiccup._

Had he not been full of adrenaline, he would have walked strait into them, to his death. In a panic, Hiccup threw himself behind a large, bulbous rock and prayed to anyone that would listen:

Don't hear me.

Don't let them see me.

Oh, _Gods_, don't let them know I'm here.

Gingerly, Hiccup peeped round the side of his shelter, knowing each twitch, each movement could give him away.

His heart thudded like a weight dropping, lifting, dropping, dropping and lifting.

His lungs crackled like inflating plastic bags.

He could hardly breathe.

He couldn't breathe.

His eyes cleared the top of the rock.

And he stopped in his tracks.

A purple Nadder stood in the small clearing before him, its head bowed and tail spines withdrawn. Hiccup was confused: What was it doing? Why was a Deadly Nadder standing, alone in the woods, looking so, so distressed? Why did it look so depressed?

This was such a strange display of emotion, so _human, _that Hiccup couldn't help but scan the surrounding area for the source of this dragon's display of pain.

And then he spotted it.

The dragon wasn't alone.

At its feet lay the crumpled, broken body of –

"The first champion has now successfully faced their dragon, so, with no further ado, may the Beauxbaton competitor please enter the Ring. "

_Oh, Gods,_ thought Hiccup, his heart jumping into his throat. _Only Jack to go then I'm _next_._

Hiccup tried to focus back into his memories, determined to think of _anything_ other than the appending apocalypse that was the First Task.

At its feet lay the crumpled, broken body of – another dragon, most likely a blue Nadder, though it was hard to tell in its mangled and bloody state.

The purple Nadder seemed to be _grieving _over its distorted and obviously dead partner, who lay, unresponsive, to the dragons nudges.

_Get up, _it seemed to be pleading, prodding its fallen comrade in a futile effort to get it to its feet.

_Please,_ the dragon seemed to say, it's jostling becoming more urgent, _We have to __**go.**_

Hiccup, no longer able watch, stumbled from the clearing, his eyes watery, as if the Nadder's pain somehow radiated through his own heart, too.

Suddenly, in his flight from the clearing, Hiccup tripped, sprawling forward with a loud _Thump,_ that no doubt alerted the grieving dragon to his whereabouts. Hiccup didn't trust himself to breath.

He held his breath.

The dragon looked him straight in the eyes.

He stared straight back.

The dragon's look of surprise and shock was quickly re-replaced with pain, such _human _pain, and with a last nudge filled with failing, faulting hope to its fellow companion; it took off, beating its powerful wings in a grief-fuelled race to reach the edge of the clearing, and the open sky.

Hiccup hadn't wanted to say much longer, his heart heavy and his mind still frozen in shock.

"And now for Hogwarts!" The dreaded voice cut through Hiccup's mind like a knife through butter, bringing a sense of dread that choked him of air and left him winded as if he'd been punched.

"Mr Frost, if you could approach the Ring!" Jack squared his jaw, his tense limbs swinging at his sides, his knuckles white and ridged around his staff.

"Hey J-Jack," Hiccup called, his voice wavering like a broken compass needle. "G-good luck! Yeah, h-have a good…" He squeaked, unable to continue.

"Thanks, Kiddo," Said Jack reaching the entrance to the tent, mumbling, "Luck hasn't really done a lot for me in my lifetime," before adding, "Hey, Hic?"

Hiccup gave a startled yelping- grunt in response, and his eyes locked with Jack's shining blue ones.

Jack smiled, tapped his chin twice before disappearing through the tent flap, leaving Hiccup sitting on a plush, velvet sofa, completely alone.


End file.
